Child abuse suspect evading arrest, police now searching northern Beaufort County
Deputies are searching northern Beaufort County for a Burton man wanted for sexually abusing a child, according to the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office.
Ernest James Wright II, 47, is wanted for first-degree criminal sexual conduct (CSC) with a minor, a felony involving the sexual battery of a victim less than 11 years old, according to South Carolina law.
Wright’s alleged abuse of the child spanned more than a year, throughout 2022 and the early months of 2023, said Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Maj. Angela Viens. Wright knew the child personally, she added.
Investigators obtained Wright’s arrest warrant Thursday, after someone who knows the victim reported the crime to authorities.
Sheriff’s officers are searching the Burton and Sheldon areas of northern Beaufort County for Wright, but residents in the area shouldn’t expect a larger police presence than normal, Viens said.
Anyone with information on Wright’s whereabouts can call Sgt. Tunis at 843-255-3426 or the Sheriff’s Office non-emergency dispatch line at 843-524-2777.
